


Hunted

by princess_evans_addict



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Avengers Family, F/M, Family Drama, Hydra (Marvel), Marvel Universe, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Romance, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 12:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5743120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_evans_addict/pseuds/princess_evans_addict
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>None of the Avengers knew what to expect when Fury gathered them to discuss a baby- especially after baby Hope was attacked moments later by a robot from HYDRA to take her back. Seventeen years later HYDRA's return reveal secrets that cause Hope to run, and now the race is on to see who will find her first- but the secrets the Avengers kept could lead her right into HYDRA's hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Prologue

"A baby," Tony Stark deadpans, staring down at the wrapped bundle. "You gathered Earth's Mightiest Heroes for a baby."

"This baby is HYDRA's newest target," Fury says harshly. "We need you all to decide who keeps it."

In sync all of the Avengers turn their heads to stare down at the baby from where they're crowded around the crib. "She's just a baby," Steve says quietly, watching her stir in her sleep. "What do they want with her?"

Fury opens his mouth to sleep, but then a machine crashes through the window, red eyes locked on the crib. It looks like one of Ultron's robots, except it's bulkier and clearly not as well-made as a Stark machine.

"Surrender the girl," It growls, red eyes watching Steve scoop her into his arms.

"Yeah, how about no?" Tony's bracelet starts blinking red as he edges in front of Steve with the others.

The robot's eyes glow a brighter red before it lifts its blocky hands and fires.

Steve grabs his shield from where it's propped from the wall and balances the baby in the other arm, holding the shield over them to protect her from the bullets. Bruce disappears into the hallway, clearly trying to keep the HUlk under control, while Clint grabs a knife and throws it into its chest where it hangs there. Natasha grabs her guns and fires, all of the bullets bouncing off, and the moment Tony's gauntlet attaches to his arm, he fires, knocking it in the head and killing it. It lands on the floor with a loud clang, and the baby is Steve's arm stirs, snuggling closer to him, causing Steve to stare at her in stunned silence.

"The girl has a personal connection to HYDRA that we're still looking into." Fury says quietly as he watches her yawn before blinking amethyst eyes open. "We have reason to believe they've already begun experimenting on her, which means they could be trying to finish the job."

"Or making more," Steve carefully sets the shield down and holds her more securely. "What do we do?"

"We'll continue taking down HYDRA; that won't stop because of her." Fury glances at the bundle blinking at everyone. "She needs someone to take care of her."

"Steve," Everyone says in unison.

Steve's head jerks up. "Why me?" He protests.

"You're the best suited for taking care of her," Natasha glances at the girl smiling at him. "Besides, she already likes you."

He glances at her before sighing deeply. "If HYDRA's after her, we all need to protect her," He says in his Cap voice. "Not just one."

Natasha nods once. "I can help, but since you're the leader…"

"I got it. She's my responsibility," He eyes Tony. "Are you helping?"

He nods once. "I'll explain it to Pepper so she understands." He digs out his phone and starts typing. "This is insane. She's just a kid,"

Steve looks down at the girl again, meeting her curious eyes and trying to keep his mind off of HYDRA's interest. "I guess you're with me tonight," He focuses on Fury. "What's her name?"

Fury keeps his eyes on the baby. "Hope."

…

Steve's eyes snap open at the wail coming from the monitor Sharon Carter dropped off, and he instantly jerks upright and darts over to the living room. He releases a breath when he sees no one else and moves to where she's crying.

"Shh," He whispers, scooping her into his arms and rocking her as he moves towards a chair. "It's alright, sweetheart. I have you."

Her crying dims to whimpers as he makes himself comfortable, and finally she snuggles into him and goes back to sleep. He starts to lift her, but he feels a tug on his shirt, and he glances down to see her with a tight grip on his clothes. He sighs wearily before settling back in the chair, smiling a little at her peaceful expression before falling asleep himself.

…

"Where is she?" Rumlow demands furiously, eyes burning in dark anger that makes all of the guards flinch.

"We'll find her," A guard says, almost whimpering. "She's too young to last on her own. If she's dead-"

"Sir," A new guard says, walking into the room. "Nick Fury has her in custody."

Rumlow curses, slamming his fist in the wall. "I want her found," He hisses darkly. "I want her found and brought in as soon as possible."

"Sir, she's under the protection of Steve Rogers," The newest guard says, shifting uneasily. "She will be almost impossible to get to."

"I don't care," Rumlow hisses. "I will join SHIELD if I have to. She will either be ours or die."

"I thought we couldn't kill her," The first guard says worriedly. "Who she is-"

"I don't care," Rumlow snaps darkly. "She always has and will belong to HYDRA." He pauses, fighting for a little control. "Find her and take her down."


	2. I.

I.

I stay completely silent, crouched behind the couch and waiting patiently for him to walk by. It's simple; he'll trigger the alert, the glitter will fall on his head, and-

"What are you doing?" He asks from right behind me.

I whirl around, standing quickly and looking at the blond-haired, blue eyed man in front of me, whose arms are crossed and is sending me a disapproving look.

"Steve," I say calmly, though my heart is pounding. "How are you?"

His eyes narrow a little more. "What are you doing?" He repeats, using his Captain America voice.

I shift slightly. "Um-"

"Stark!" Natasha yells, and I whip around to see her covered in pink glitter.

Steve raises an eyebrow at me.

I wince before turning to her. "Sorry,"

She waves it off. "You're fine. It's the fact that Tony helped that ticks me off." She brushes what glitter she can off and moves toward the elevator.

I smirk, turning to Steve, but he's clearly fighting a smile. "Behave," He warns, moving towards the elevator. "I have a meeting with Fury. Stay out of trouble."

"Can I come?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"No," He says firmly, stepping inside, and before I can even try to protest the doors shut, effectively shutting me out.

I sigh, moving towards the couch and dropping down. Though I've spent my entire life with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, I've always been shut out from what is going on. Most of my information comes from the news when no one is watching, and whenever someone goes on a mission, I google what's going on to try to find them. My eyes trail the room, trying to find something to do, and my eyes land on the air vent. I smirk, glance around, and slowly push to my feet.

…

"-her," Fury says, and I scoot a little closer to the vent so I can see him. "If they find her-"

"They won't," Steve says firmly, crossing his arms, and I notice a couple of vaguely familiar people, though I don't think I've ever met them. "What happens if they find her?"

"I would assume they would continue what they started," Fury says calmly. "Illegal human experimentation,"

I take a quiet, slow deep breath. That's where I've seen that girl with the dark hair; HYDRA's experiment who helped take down Ultron. I watched it on TV while everyone was gone, and I never mentioned that I saw it.

From his seat Clint pauses, and as he glances at my hiding place I feel a small tug in my gut, signaling that I've turned myself invisible.

"Clint?" Steve asks, focusing on him.

"I saw something," He says quietly, eyes still trained on me.

I scoot backwards, and I hear Steve call, "Hope,"

I don't respond, rushing to jump down, still invisible, and dart as silently as possible down the hallway. I try to keep my breaths calm; they've tracked me before, when I was younger and playing games with them, and it didn't take me long to figure out they were listening for my steps and breathing. If Steve sees me anywhere near here-

An arm catches mine, pulling me to a stop, and in the surprise I lose my concentration and drop the invisibility.

"Steve," I gasp, stepping back as he releases me and glares. "Don't scare me like that."

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from the room?" He asks, trying to keep irritation in check.

"You told me I couldn't go, not that I had to stay back," I point out.

"I told you to stay away from that meeting for a reason." He crosses his arms, looking at me with eyes that always make me spill my guts. "What did you hear?"

I shrug, keeping my eyes on the floor. "Finding someone and experimentation. I didn't hear all of the details."

Steve closes his eyes, fighting for patience, and he raises his hand to rub the bridge of his nose. "Go to your floor," He says finally. "I need to talk to Natasha."

I cross my arms, bracing for a fight. "When are you going to wear your ring around them?"

"When are you going to start following orders?"

I send him a dark glare. "You want me to follow orders? Fine. Stay away from me." I turn myself invisible and dart away before he can grab me. I barely make it to the elevator and shut the door before he reaches it, and I sigh in relief, dropping the shield as I sag against the wall.

I hate when he acts like I'm one of his soldiers. He pretty much raised me alone, with the exception of when he got married and when the other Avengers decided to help, and he only uses that voice when he gets irritated.

His wife hates it too.

The elevator doors slide open, and I instantly see Natasha standing patiently, looking at me calmly.

"How much did you hear?" I ask in defeat.

"FRIDAY told me everything," She says simply, and I nod once. "I'll talk to him and see what we need to do."

I brush past her and grab the doorknob. "I get it. You agree with your boss. Just make sure he doesn't forget that he's supposed to be your friend."

I twist the knob and step inside, closing the door behind me and not looking back.

…

"Is she still with them?" Rumlow asks, walking around and looking at the pictures of her throughout the years- a little girl in the park with Steve, eating ice cream with Tony Stark, playing on a playground with Clint watching closely.

"Confirmed. A source says that she was caught spying on a meeting." The guard turns to look at him. "They know you're looking for her, sir."

"But she doesn't," He says calmly. "Make sure it stays that way." He turns back to the screen. "We'll find her, and Steve Rogers won't be able to save her this time."


	3. II.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for even bothering to read this! I hope you enjoy it!

II.

"Hey, Einstein," Tony says, waltzing into my room without knocking.

I glare at him over my sketchbook. "Get lost."

"That's not very nice." He perches himself beside me and looks over my shoulder. "Not bad, kid."

I ignore him, focusing on my sketch of Vision. "Can I help you?"

Tony sighs. "Look, I get why you're upset with Capsicle, but he's trying to keep you safe."

"From what? I know more than anyone what happens when you get in HYDRA's way," My mind flashes to seeing Pietro's dead body on the news, and I force it back. "I can take care of myself."

Tony keeps his eyes steady. "We know. We just don't want to see you get hurt."

Someone clears their throat, and I glance up to see Steve leaning against the doorway. "Let's take a walk," He suggests gently.

I set my pencil down and cross my arms, glaring at him darkly. "Why?"

He glances at my half-finished sketch. "It looks good."

"Thanks. What do you want?"

"To talk," He tilts his head, watching me softly. "Can't I talk to my best girl?"

"Go kiss your wife," I snap, grabbing it and angrily focusing on my art.

"Wife?" Tony asks, sounding surprised.

"Hope," Steve snaps.

"You might as well tell him," I snap, flipping my book shut and rising. "I'll be outside." I let my shoulder knock into Steve's and march down the hall.

I know I'm overreacting. Steve said that I anger easily, that it's not my fault, but I'm not sure how much I believe him. Adopted or not, I should be able to control my emotions. I pass Sam Wilson, who offers a sympathetic smile, but I can't look at him as I rush towards the courtyard. I plop down on the bench and close my eyes, my face in my hands before taking a deep breath and sitting straight up again.

"Hope,"

I glance up, smiling as Wanda Maximoff settles beside me. "Wanda,"

"Are you still fighting with your father?"

I sigh a little, but I choose not to correct her. It's a lost cause. "I guess."

Her eyes glow red, and I feel a presence digging through my mind before it disappears. "You are worried about your anger."

"Steve's wrong; I should be able to control it."

She hesitates. "Some things you can't change." She says quietly. "Steve's need to keep you safe is one of them."

I close my eyes, searching for patience. "Wanda…"

"Shh," She wraps an arm around my shoulders, and I close my eyes. "Возлюбленная…" She whispers. Sweetheart. Natasha used to whisper it to me over and over when I would cry. I force myself to take a slow breath, and I feel another presence in my mind before calm sweeps over me. "Did that help?" She asks quietly.

I nod, not opening my eyes, and I hear footsteps stop in front of me. I force myself to look, and I see Steve standing in front of us, looking down at me with concern. I bite my lips before standing, and he relaxes a fraction before leading the way to the path surrounding the compound, neither of us speaking.

"I told you to stay out of the meeting because I didn't want you to worry," Steve says finally.

"I would worry anyway." I say emotionlessly.

His lips twitch with a small smile, a little warmth finally appearing in his eyes. "Tony said that you admitted to watching our battles on the news." He glances at me and raises his eyebrows. "Is that true?"

I wince. "You never tell me anything; it's the only way I can make sure you're safe.

He sighs wearily. "We do it to protect you."

"You can't protect me forever," I point out emotionlessly. "I'm seventeen. Sooner or later you'll have to trust me."

He stops, turning to take my shoulders in his hands. "This has nothing to do with trust." He says firmly, eyes locked on mine. "I promise you that."

"Then what's going on?" I whisper.

He's silent for a long moment, and then I hear the loud bang of a gun. Steve grunts, pulling me behind him, and I glance down to see a thin trail of red seeping through his gray Under Armor shirt.

"Steve!" I yell, grabbing the back of his shirt in my fist. "You're hit!"

"Hope, go back to the compound and get help," He says firmly, shoving us both out of the way at another shot that barely misses my head thanks to Steve's shove. "Go!"

I instantly turn on the invisibility and bolt, pressing the small button on my bracelet as I run. The one Tony made me when I was younger in case something happened. Now it's connected to the entire compound.

Something slams into me, and I trip, losing concentration and I slam into the ground. I quickly roll over and stare at a large man whose gun is pointed at my heart.

"Вставай," He snaps coldly, dark eyes freezing me in place. "Вставай, теперь,"

Get up. I force myself to stand shakily, and as he opens his mouth to yell something whips his head around, knocking him to the ground. I glance over to see Wanda standing firm, her eyes glowing blood red.

"Get inside," She says emotionlessly, staring at the slowly stirring body.

I don't hesitate; I bolt, glancing up to see Falcon and Vision flying towards Steve, his shield in Vision's grip, and I hear another shot right before something cuts my arm. I cry out, stopping to grab it, and I quickly turn myself invisible and bolt farther to the side before continuing to run. The moment I step inside I let the shield break, biting my lip against the stinging.

"Hope!" Tony says, meeting me halfway and gently grabbing my arms below the cut. "Did he hit you?"

I nod, focusing the pain away. "Bullet wound."

"Come on," He starts to tug me to Bruce's lab, making me for once grateful for his visit, but shots ring out, shattering the glass and making me scream. Tony grabs me and bolts towards the other entrance, tapping his comm. "They're still after her, Cap. We're heading towards the main entrance. Maybe I can cut them off there."

"After who?" I call, backing up a little as I see his red bracelet blinking.

We make it to the entrance, and I skid to a stop, staring at yet another shooter standing by the door and aiming his gun at me.

"Hand over Hope," He says coldly, his Russian accent thick.

My mouth opens slightly, and before I can react a shield slams over the side of his head, knocking him to the ground in an unconscious heap. I instantly look at Steve's furious face, breathing hard as he stares down at the body. He finally meets my eyes and relaxes, moving towards me and wrapping his arms around me tightly.

I hold him back for a few moments before slipping under the shield at my back. "Why were they after me?" I ask, looking between him and Tony, whose faceplate is now up.

They exchange a look.

"We need to talk," Steve says finally.


	4. III.

III.

"Steve," I say firmly, letting him lead me to the conference room. "Can't you just tell me?"

He ignores me, opening the door to the conference room, and Natasha instantly moves towards me, taking my arm and looking at the cut. "Bruce?"

Bruce walks over with a First Aid kit, and once again I'm glad he's here. He nods at me to remove my red jacket, and I instantly remove the layer, leaving me in my tank top as Bruce dabs off the blood.

"What's going on?" I demand, yanking my arm back and ignoring Bruce's irritated glare. "Why were those men after me, and why were they speaking Russian?"

Steve glances at something past me, and I turn my head to see Nick Fury standing calmly in his dark jacket, looking at me with one eye while Bruce grabs my arm again and starts wrapping it.

"Hope, those men know you from a long time ago." Tony says calmly. "They probably don't know why they're after you."

"Actually they do," Steve says, crossing his arms and watching Bruce step away from me. "Do you remember what we said about when we found you?"

I bite my lip, thinking. "You found me left on an orphanage doorstep and took me from there. Why?"

Everyone exchanges looks.

"That's not what actually happened," Steve says slowly.

I keep my gaze on him. "Explain."

Steve shifts a little, looking uncomfortable, and Fury speaks up. "We found you in one of HYDRA's abandoned labs."

I stare at him, unable to process.

"I brought you to Avengers tower and told the team to decide who would be the best person to take care of you."

I swallow carefully, still looking at him. "Steve."

He nods once, glancing where Steve is, but I refuse to look at him. "Anything else?"

"They sent a robot to attack you." Natasha says quietly. "We were able to protect you and move you to a safer location. After that we continued to take care of you."

"You lied to me," I say quietly.

Steve steps forward and takes my shoulders gently. "Doll-"

"Don't," I jerk back, and he stills, staring at me with a stunned silence. "Just don't… touch me right now." Needing to look away from his hurt expression, I turn back to Fury. "Do you know why they want me?"

"As you heard yesterday, they were conducting experiments on you," I wince, and Fury's gaze seems to soften a fraction. "We think they're looking for you to finish what they started."

I bite my lip, thinking, and Clint speaks up. "Why did they wait so long to get her back?"

"She's been trained." Natasha says calmly. We all turn to look at her, but she keeps her eyes on me. "We've all helped train her. She knows all of our techniques. Why take her when we've been doing part of their job for him?"

I squeeze my eyes shut, thinking carefully, and then a hand lands on my shoulder. "Hope," Steve says quietly. I open my eyes and glance down to see myself invisible, and I force myself to release a breath, removing the shield in the process.

"What do we do?" Tony asks, looking at Steve.

"Keep her on lockdown," Steve orders, using his Captain voice that I've always disliked. "The less she's outside, the less chance she'll be attacked again."

"You don't know that," Tony argues. "They know she's here. What's stopping them from taking her tonight?"

Steve sighs. "Fair enough."

"I'm not an animal," I say irritably, moving out from under his arm. "You can't just keep me locked up." Steve reaches for me, but I scoot away, ignoring his flinch.

"This is not open for discussion," Fury says coldly. "Someone escort her to her room; we'll finish this in a minute."

Bruce rises quickly. "I'll take her."

I frown at him, confused. What is he doing?

Steve looks torn between relieved and upset. "Thank you, Bruce," He says finally, eyes on me, but I don't look at him.

Bruce nods to me, and I obediently follow him out, dodging the various hands trying to touch my arm or back in what's supposed to be a reassuring move. I don't want any of them to touch me; how long have they known? Why didn't they tell me what I was sooner? Because of them I'm being hunted by everyone's worse enemy, and they don't even know if they can keep me safe.

Bruce clears his throat quietly, and I realize I wasn't paying attention as he took me straight to my room on Steve's floor. "Why did you come here?" I ask, unable to look at him.

He doesn't say anything for a long moment. "I needed to be out of that environment," He says quietly, and I instantly catch the implied half of the statement: I needed to be away from the stress to keep the Other Guy under control.

"Not that," I say, a little colder than necessary. "Why did you come here at all?"

"The meeting," He says evenly. "We knew they were watching you; we didn't expect them to take so long."

I purse my lips and look away, searching for calm. "Thanks for taking me back," I say emotionlessly, opening my bedroom door. He looks like he's about to say something else, but I slam the door in his face just to do it and reach under my bed for my backpack. A quick glance proves I have what I need: money, clothes, weapons, and the one picture I put in there just in case; The Avengers after one of Tony's parties, when I snuck out and they were laughing at something off camera. It's one of the few I've been able to sneak, and even now I can't bring myself to take it out. I sigh before zipping it up again and grabbing a pen, scribbling a note before turning invisible, glad that whatever I touch disappears with me as I slide the small window open and drop to the ground, disappearing in the trees behind and knowing that when Steve sees the note, it'll be too late.

…

"She is leaving, sir," A man says, silently fuming. "I could kill her now, and none of her precious Avengers would be able to-"

"Patience," Rumlow says calmly. "Don't you see the irony of this?" The man doesn't answer, and Rumlow smirks. "The Avengers will go after her. We'll find her first, and then we can take them down."

"And if we lose her?" The man demands furiously.

"Then I suggest you find her quickly." Rumlow says calmly. "If you aren't fast enough, then you will be among the bodies of those heroes," He sneers the name in disgust. "Work quickly and determine where she's going. If she remains invisible, we'll lose her."

He turns and walks away.


	5. IV.

IV.

Steve sighs roughly, running a hand through his hair and sagging against the conference room table. “We should have told her,” He says, not looking at anyone.

Natasha remains emotionless, eyes locked on Steve. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” He straightens, completely focused. “We should have told her from the beginning. If we had-”

“There’s no guarantee that she wouldn’t have still been upset,” Clint points out. “We can’t change it.”

Steve sighs heavily and nods once, focusing on Fury. “Has Bucky reported to you?”

Fury nods once. “He’s on his way back now. I’ll see about sending him after those men and try to find a base to take down.”

The door opens, and Bruce walks in, looking contemplative. “Something wrong?” Steve asks, tracking him with his eyes.

Bruce hesitates before looking at him. “Something’s going on with Hope.”

“Well, I too would be pissed if my family lied to me my entire life,” Tony retorts.

Bruce shakes his head. “More than that. How much do we know about her birth family?”

“Not much,” Fury glances at the screen where Hope’s medical file is being displayed. “Whoever they took her from was an asset of theirs.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” He turns to Steve. “What are the odds of her looking for them?”

Steve shakes his head. “We told her they were dead. The odds of there being survivors, on top of the risk-”

“What about now that she found out her life was a lie?”

Steve stays silent for a moment. “FRIDAY, where’s Hope?”

“I’m afraid Miss Hope has left the building, Captain.” FRIDAY answers, sounding almost regretful.

“What?” Steve snaps, straightening in a split second.

“Why weren’t we alerted?” Tony demands furiously, crossing his arms.

“I was under strict orders not to alert you of her disappearance,” FRIDAY answers, and if Tony didn’t know better he would swear the AI sounded defensive.

Steve curses, moving towards the door with Natasha at his side. “Everybody spread out. We need an idea of where she’s going.”

...

I shake my leg as I type frantically, hacking into the Avengers database and praying that no one has noticed my absence yet. The room I rented is small, dirty, and smells like something I really don’t want to think about, but it’ll have to work. I’ve already disabled trackers, any chips, anything that could lead the Avengers to the hotel door.

My entire life, I’ve been surrounded by them. I know their tells, I know their skills, I know their weaknesses- heck, I know what they like and hate. But to keep something so important from me? Steve’s always been like a father to me, and he couldn’t be bothered to tell me the truth. Though he did look regretful… No. He brought this upon himself. They didn’t even mention that I got my powers from experimentation. I always thought I was just a freak of nature.

Shaking myself off, I focus on the files on all known HYDRA bases. So far there’s only one lab they worked at, the one that was abandoned after Ultron, but what are the chances that they returned? According to this, the Avengers haven’t bothered to check up on it. If I were them, I’d just go back and improve the defenses since there’s no threat.  
I go to an airport website and dig out one of the many credit cards that belong to Tony Stark, buying tickets in London, Paris, Sokovia, Moscow, Tokyo, Sydney, Los Angeles, Bejing, even Toronto. Natasha taught me to always buy tickets for multiple places to keep people off the trail, and now I finally get to test it. Granted, she probably didn’t mean against the Avengers, but I have to find out who my real parents are, if only to figure out why I was given to HYDRA.

I close the laptop, thankful I took the untraceable one from Tony’s lab, and try not to think about how his desktop image is Pepper. Even after all this time, he still loves her. Why he didn’t fight for her I won’t know- probably trying to keep her safe, knowing his twisted logic- but I know Zach keeps trying to set them up.

I swear if Zach had a twin, he’d try to do a Parent Trap swap.

I try not to think about it, because not actually being an orphan means that all of the kids of the Avengers aren’t actually adopted cousins, but kids of people who happened to save my life. It still doesn’t change that I know these people. I know their families, I know their jobs, and I actually care about what happens to them, even with all of the lies and secrets. I doubt even the kids know the truth about me.

Against my will my mind wanders to when I was younger, when Steve went on a mission and Clint took me to his farm with his kids until he came back.

“Be careful, little bird,” Clint says, adjusting my hold on the bow and arrow while Lila and Cooper rush to their mother, taking their drinks and smiling as Nathaniel jabbers on Laura’s hip. “If you hold it wrong, you’ll miss. Cap would kill me if I got his best girl killed.”

I blink out of it, rising to stretch and change into pajamas.

Tomorrow I go to Sokovia, and I am going to find out the truth. No matter how much it hurts.

…

“We have every camera in New York looking for her,” A HYDRA agent says, typing on his computer. “She won’t stay gone for long.”

“Also track any airplanes. Anything that looks abnormal needs to be reported to me immediately.” Rumlow says calmly.

“Sir, I don’t understand why we don’t just kill her,” A guard says tentatively. “She’s useless without the training.”

“The Avengers trained her to fight,” Rumlow says calmly. “Our boss was clear; we keep her alive. She’s his favorite, and he wants her back. Just focus on finding her and bringing her in; we’ve left her alone for too long.”


	6. V.

V.

I peer up at the large fortress wordlessly, hoping I don’t look obvious. I know Steve, Thor, and Tony always try to look normal, but they constantly fail at it. Natasha taught me that to go undercover, you need to look natural, like you belong. Of course, you also have to watch cameras, and I’m sure there are plenty searching for me now, but it’s easy to blend when you’re invisible. I slip around the back and climb the fence as quietly as possible, praying there aren’t sensors in them and breathing a sigh of relief when I land safely on the other side. Feeling more confident, I creep to the bricks and climb up, using the pipe to hop up and slip inside an air vent. I breathe as silently as possible, crawling in the too-small space and looking around for the lab.

There.

It has nothing on Tony’s lab; it mostly looks like those dark, dull las on TV shows, so stereotypical I wonder if I’m mistaken. Then the wall opens up, and I suck in a sharp breath when I see signs of extremely complicated equipment that could make Tony jealous. When I’m sure no one is around, I hop down from my hiding place and lightly drag my fingers across the door, looking for an opening. Not finding anything, I turn my attention to the computer and get an idea. I pad over to the old screen and easily hack into the system, looking for anything that resembles experimentation. I pause when I see a file marked Project Hope, and I click the button only to find a single, short document.

Bring her back at all costs.

I glance at the date, going numb at the seventeen year old date. I swallow, start clearing the system, and feel a strong hand grab my arm. Without thinking I whip around, losing my shield, and I stare into the cold dark eyes of a HYDRA worker. I quickly try to think of a strategy, and his face morphs from anger to shock.

“You,” He whispers, staring at me like he’s seeing a ghost.

I slam my fist into his jaw, knocking him to the ground and buying myself a moment to turn invisible and run. I hear an alarm start blaring, coating the halls in blood red light, and I stop to tap a code into the keypad, covering an ear before bolting again. Soon a favorite song from the 1940s starts playing, and I resist the urge to hum along as I hear someone yelling to turn it off.

I smirk, and then I slip into the room, knocking legs out from under the mob of soldiers and knocking them unconscious. People start yelling, but I let my old training kick in, mixing Steve and Natasha’s lessons as I knock people down over and over again. I finally land a solid hit to one man’s temple, and I take a minute to breathe, feeling a little dazed. I didn’t realize I was able to take down so many people, but I force the thought aside and grab chains from the table, dragging the men into piles and chaining them all together. I move over to the now empty computer and trigger an alert to Avengers Headquarters before disappearing again, waiting anxiously for more soldiers.

“You still haven’t found her?” And angry voice demands. I pause, moving beside the door and peeking through the crack to see a dark haired, dark-eyed man on the screen.

“We are doing what we can, but the Avengers-”

“I don’t care what the Avengers are doing,” The man on the screen growls. “Hope is valuable, and the Avenger’s attempt to interfere is the least of my concerns. Her natural abilities enhance the experiments, and that kind of weapon is exactly what we need.”

“We have no idea if Peggy Carter’s stills were transferred to her,” The man in the room says nervously. “She is only a niece. Had you cloned her like I suggested-”

“Using her got rid of an enemy.” The man says coldly. “Increase your chances of finding her and turn off the damn alarm.” The screen cuts off, and as the man sighs in relief I slip inside, grab a pipe from the ground, and slam it into the back of his head, dropping it and disappearing before I can focus on his hopefully still alive body. I quickly climb back into the vent, jump down, and run into Sokovia, my eyes on the sky.

…

Steve kicks the door down, shield ready at his side as he scans the inside of the room. He frowns, hearing a song from before the serum playing loudly, and Tony walks over and cuts it off, mask turned to Steve as if waiting for his next move.

“Let’s keep going,” He says, stilling when his advanced hearing catches groaning. He follows the sound quickly, and he pushes the door open to see fifty large men chained together, starting to wake up. He freezes, keeping his focused expression despite not knowing what to do, and Tony starts typing on the computer.

“It was sent from this computer. Everything’s been wiped,” Tony turns to him. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Probably not,” He nods to Clint and Thor, watching them hoist them up and start leading them outside.

Tony steps out of his suit, trying to hack into the computer. “It’s too clean. There’s literally nothing here.”

Steve stops beside him, thinking everything they’ve seen over. “She was here.”

Tony keeps staring at the computer. “What now?”

Steve straightens a little, turning to watch Clint round up the rest of the HYDRA workers. “Start looking into every technology available here. Anything looking like Hope or something she would do needs to be investigated before she tries to leave again.”

Tony steps back into his suit, nodding once when his faceplate connects. “You’ve got it, Cap.”

Steve sighs a little, looking out one last time before following him out.


	7. VI.

VI.

I frown as I stare at the airport map, mentally going through my options. Being invisible will only help me so long; I need to leave before the Avengers manage to track me down. Returning to America is too dangerous, but if I could contact with Zach and get into Tony’s mansion without being detected-

I pull out my phone and dial a number. “I need a favor.”

There’s no hesitation. “What do you need?”

“Oh my god, it’s Tony Stark!”

I turn around to see Tony smirking at the crowd, raising his hands in a wave as Steve blushes behind him. Cursing, I weave between the crowd only to hear, “Language,”

“Shut up, Zach,” I mutter. “The Avengers are after me. I need to get in and out of Tony’s mansion.”

“Done. Why are they after you?”

I glance around, seeing Tony and everyone else but not Steve. “Let’s just say I’ve been compromised. I’ll send you another message when I get there.”

“Got it.”

I hang up on him before frantically searching for Steve. I’ve never been able to completely hide from him, and knowing that he could have already found me makes my heart pound in my chest. If he does manage to catch me and bring me back-

“I couldn’t find her,” I hear a familiar voice say irritably, and I turn around to see Steve frowning next to Tony.

“We’ll get her, Cap,” Clint says firmly. “She can only hide for so long.”

Steve nods, and he scans the room one last time before leaving the airport, his Avengers behind him.

I dig out my phone again and send a text. Get ready.

…

“Because of your negligence, Hope is gone and our lab is destroyed,” Rumlow hisses, glaring at the screen where one of the soldiers stands nervously.

“She was trained by the Avengers,” He protests nervously. “Her powers-”

“You should have been able to stop her,” He says coldly. He cuts the screen off before turning to his guest. “You said you could track her down?”

The man nods once, smirking. “She will be brought back to you alive, as requested.”

“Good,” He turns around, focusing on the window. “What did you say your name was?”

The man grins. “Robert Erksine,”

…

Darkness has always been one of my biggest fears; I’ve never liked being unable to see, having to rely solely on sound and knowing that whatever you hear could be nothing or something that could kill you. It’s mostly because of the Avengers; I wouldn’t be able to watch them die, and seeing all of their battles and seeing the horrors falling from the sky during the Battle of New York has only increased that panic.

Landing in California almost makes me sob with relief. I’m no stranger to airplanes, but sitting in the black bag compartment invisible makes me jittery, unable to calm down enough to think of a plan. I quickly slip outside and move towards the road, seeing the familiar black Mustang and tinted windows. Still invisible, I open the door and slide into the passenger seat, losing my shield as my best friend’s voice asks, “Nice flight?”

I send him a glare, ignoring his smirk. “Just drive.”

Zach grins, speeding out of the airport and reminding me of how much Stark he really is. Tall, dark haired, and blue eyed, Zach is enough like his father to cause serious safety concerns. He’s a genius, a mechanic, a flirt, and a huge pain in the ass, but we’ve known each other too long to care. After his parents split, we stopped seeing each other- mostly because Pepper wanted him as far away from danger as possible- but did what we could to keep in touch, especially with our promise to help each other with anything under the Avengers’ radar.

“So why are you coming into the car invisible and breaking into the mansion undetected?” He asks, sending me a sidelong glance.

“I’ve been compromised.” I say quietly. From the corner of my eye I see him look at me with slightly wide eyes, but I keep my gaze ahead as we drive in silence. We finally make it to the large mansion, the one reserved for Tony’s visitations with Zach, and he presses a button on his bracelet, turning off FRIDAY. We pull into the garage, and we both step out, my eyes on the rows of expensive cars and Zach double checking the security system.

“Can I drive it?” I ask, tugging on Tony’s jeans and using my other arm to ward off Zach’s hands.

Tony eyes his car. “Maybe one day.”

“Absolutely not.” Steve says firmly, turning to glare at him.

“Ok, ok,” Tony raises his arms in surrender, and the second Steve turns away he winks at me and whispers, “Later.”

“We’re fine.” He moves towards the elevator, and I blink out of my thoughts and quickly follow him to the elevator. I open my mouth to speak, but he stops me before I can. “FRIDAY runs the building, but I can turn her off and not mess everything up.” He studies me for a long moment. “You’ve been in a fight.”

I frown, but I touch a hand to my cheek and feel the beginning of a bruise. “It’s been a long couple of days.”

He says nothing, and we step into Tony’s lab, bypassing the various tools and gadgets and watching Zach settle into the computer. “What are we looking for?”

“The Avenger’s files on HYDRA,” He turns to look at me, and I glare. “Now, please.”

Zach sighs a little, turning back to the screen. “What am I looking for?”

“Project Hope.” I watch him hack into the server, and a file shows up. He clicks on it, and then hundreds of papers show up, along with a file of pictures. “Is there anything about whereabouts?”

Zach frowns, typing frantically until a single sheet of paper appears. “Germany.” His brow furrows as he continues reading. “Johann Shmidt.”

My blood turns cold. “One of the old leaders of HYDRA?” I ask.

Zach keeps reading. “A descendant. Whoever it was probably stole you from an orphanage.”

Which would mean Steve never really lied to me. I shake it off, focusing on the screen. “Anything else?”

He types more, but he finally falls back. “Nothing. We’d have to go there to find your birth parents.” He eyes me carefully. “You’re sure you want to do this?”

I nod once. “Positive,”

He studies me. “Does Steve know about this?” He asks slowly.

I bristle. “He’s not in charge anymore.”

He straightens. “What happened?”

“I told you; I was compromised,” I don’t say anything else, not wanting to get into it. “What’s the address?”

He closes out of everything. “I’m going with you.”

I stare at him. “Your mom’s not going to let you.”

“She doesn’t need to; I’m eighteen now.”

I shake my head. “She’s going to blame Tony, and it’ll be another fight.”

“Yeah, until they sleep together again.” He shakes his head and looks at me with determination. “If you’re compromised, I want to be there and help you figure out what’s going on.”

I stay silent for a long moment. “Ok,” I say quietly, ignoring his triumphant smirk. “But we need to leave now.”

He snags his keys from the desk. “Let’s go.”


	8. VIII.

VIII.

“What do you mean you told her?” Steve demands furiously.

The woman doesn’t flinch, keeping her eyes on Captain America’s glare and ignoring Falcon’s steady gaze. “She asked; I told her what I knew.”

He releases a slow breath. “Did you tell her who her father is?” He asks, his voice deathly quiet.

The woman shakes her head. “She did not ask. She was extremely surprised that Agent 13 was her mother.”

Steve’s mind drifts to when they found the body, a single bullet in the center of her forehead. “I’m not surprised. She’s seen the report.” He finally lets himself relax a fraction. “Where is she now?”

The woman opens her mouth to speak, but in that instant a single shot rings out, taking the woman to the ground, where she stares at the ceiling with sightless eyes. They both whip around to see Crossbones staring at them emotionlessly, a gun hanging at his side as he crouches on the roof of a nearby building.

“You should know when to give up, Captain,” He calls, his voice smug.

“Where’s my daughter, Rumlow?” Steve calls, forcing himself to remain cold in his Captain voice.

“She was never your daughter.” He rises smoothly. “She’s safe. They both are.”

“I’m going to kill that bastard,” Tony says coldly from where he’s listening in.

Steve ignores him. “You’re problem is with me, not her.”

“You are important,” Rumlow agrees, “But this has always been about her. You’re… a bonus.” Steve can hear the smile hidden by his mask. “The game’s still going, Captain. It’s up to you how long you last. Just remember that when you lose, Hope is ours,” He shoots at them, making them block, and then he’s gone.

Steve slowly lowers his shield and raises a hand to the comm. in his ear. “Tony, I want you tracking anything that moves.”

…

“This is your fault,” I hiss, twisting my wrists and wincing as the ropes burn my skin.

“Technically it’s HYDRA’s fault,” Zach grunts, yanking at the binds and only succeeding in knocking me back against him. “Would you quit knocking into my back?”

“Our hands are tied together! It’s not my fault!”

Zach growls in frustration, tilting his head back until it rests against mine, and I glare at our cell as we wait in silence. Our hands are tied behind our back, connected and leaving us unable to look at each other. each of us has a metal cuff around an ankle, keeping us chained to the wall, and there’s no light except the window, the metal bars keeping us here letting the guards know everything we say.

“I’m sorry about Sharon,” Zach says quietly.

I purse my lips, thinking back to when Steve told me about Peggy and how her niece, Sharon, was killed by an unidentified assassin. “She died because of me.”

I feel him turn his head so I can hear him better. “Don’t do that to yourself. You don’t know why she was killed.”

“HYDRA’s after me; there’s no other explanation.” I close my eyes and tilt my head back. “I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Zach says firmly. “Steve didn’t tell you the truth, and neither did the others; that’s on them. There’s no way you could have known who you were.”

“I still don’t,” I whisper.

I feel his fingers brush mine. “I have an idea. We’re getting out of here, and then we’re figuring this out.” He waits until I nod once, and then he yells, “Hey! I need to talk to you!” I wince, and it’s as if he realizes he yelled in my ear. “Sorry.”

I nod once, as a guard waits impatiently outside our cage. “What?” He growls.

Zach grips my hands despite the awkward position. “My girlfriend’s pregnant.”

There’s a beat, and then the guard walks away. “You made me your pregnant girlfriend?” I hiss quietly.

“It worked. He’s talking to his boss, and if you’re so important to them, they’ll make sure you’re safe.” I can hear his smug smirk.

“You’re an idiot.”

Before he can retort the guard reappears with a friend, unlocking the cage. “Our boss will see you to discuss everything. Your child’s termination will be debated as well.”

“Termination?” I ask, my mind blank.

He doesn’t reply, and they unbind our hands only to chain one of our wrists together. He twines my fingers in his, squeezing once, and they lead us down a long and dark hallway before pausing at a large metal door.

“Send them in,” A voice says before he can knock. We wordlessly step inside, and I suck in a sharp breath as the man turns, showing burns all over his body.

“Surprised?” He asks, his face calm. “Don’t be. This is because Captain America chose to fight back. I will never fully heal.”

I swallow carefully, keeping myself in a scared mask instead of showing my thoughts. I remember seeing him on the news, but his name was never released.

“My name is Rumlow,” He says calmly, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms casually. “I’m the current leader of HYDRA.”

“Nice to meet you,” Zach cuts in, tugging me closer to his side. “My girlfriend’s pregnant and can’t sleep in a cage.”

Rumlow laughs once humorlessly. “Hope is not pregnant, and you are not dating her, Stark.” Zach says nothing, a muscle in his jaw tensing, and Rumlow grins. “We know who you are. You could have walked free if you hadn’t decided to help her.”

“You know about my mother?” I ask quickly, ignoring the sudden jerk on my arm.

Rumlow winces. “We didn’t want to kill her, but at that point she knew too much. Your father wouldn’t have let her live.”

All of the air leaves my lungs. “My father was HYDRA?” I whisper.

Rumlow studies me carefully. “They really didn’t tell you anything, did they,” He muses. “Yes, your father was HYDRA. In fact, he was one of the most important HYDRA members. Which reminds me,” He steps forward, offering a hand. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Hope Shmidt. It’s an honor to speak to the only remaining descendant of a HYDRA founder.”


	9. IX.

“Breathe,” Zach orders, crouching in front of me and holding my shoulders gently as his eyes remain on mine.

“I can’t,” I choke out, only vaguely aware of the tears on my cheeks. I can’t even tell if it’s because of the lack of oxygen or from knowing everything; all I know is that I can’t breathe.

“Get her an oxygen mask,” Rumlow orders, and quickly someone hands Zach a mask. He presses it against my face, sending me steady air as I force myself to calm down. At some point I fell to my knees, because now that I have air I can feel the dull ache from where I landed. I nod to Zach once, and he slowly removes the mask, testing to see if I’m really ok.

“How long?” I croak.

Rumlow tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“How long did they know?” I ask coldly.

Rumlow sighs. “Probably after the second or third time we tried to get to you. Fury could only keep his secrets for so long.”

It doesn’t surprise me; Fury has always been a liar, and though HYDRA is made of the same things, I know for a fact he’s telling the truth. “What do you want with me?” I ask quietly.

He looks confused. “We only want to train you to become the next leader of HYDRA. It’s your birthright; Ever since World War II his descendants have controlled HYDRA, and now it’s your turn.”

I say nothing. “What about Zach?”

Rumlow shrugs. “You can decide what to do. Kill him, torture him, keep him as a pet- it doesn’t matter. Our only problem is with his father.”

A chill goes down my spine, but this could be my best chance. “I want him to belong to me. I also want an actual, non-monitored room. If you can’t trust your leader, you don’t deserve to follow.”

“Hope,” Zach says quietly.

I don’t look at him, keeping my eyes on Rumlow as he’s silent. “Are you saying you want to kill the Avengers?” He asks quietly.

I steel myself, nodding once. “I want them dead.”

He grins. “Take our leader and her pet to their new room. I’ll prepare the gym so you can train.”

We follow the guards out, now unchained, and Before Zach can snap at me I raise my hands and use the sign language Clint taught us years ago. We’re free. We can get out.

…

“Hush little baby, don’t you cry,” Steve sings quietly, pacing around the bedroom and gently bouncing Hope in his arms. At first he was scared she was going to fall or that he would accidentally crush her, but now that a week has passed, he’s beyond comfortable with her small weight.

Natasha appears in the doorway, crossing her arms and leaning against the frame in nothing but jeans and a usual black shirt. “You’re good at that,”

Steve smiles, eyes on Hope’s yawning face as he continues to bounce her. He didn’t even flinch. “You get used to it.”

Natasha crossed her arms. “You know I can’t have kids. Why do you still want me?”

“Because I love you.” He stops, looking right in Natasha’s eyes. “I don’t care if you can’t have kids. I want you.”

Natasha says nothing. “Hope is like your daughter.” She says quietly.

“She’s yours too. We’re in this together.” He steps closer, eyes boring into Natasha’s. “I understand wanting to wait before signing marriage papers, but I’m not going to let you go.”

She releases a slightly shaky breath, reaching out to stroke the tiny face. “I-” She freezes, seeing empty arms. “Steve!”

He frowns. “I can still feel her. She’s right here.” As if on cue Hope reappears again, looking a little upset. “Is it a nightmare?”

Natasha frowns. “I don’t know. They experimented on her…” She shakes her head. “That’s going to make babysitting hard.”

Steve laughs once, smiling at the fiery redhead. “Something like that.” He goes over and sets Hope in her crib, trying not to panic when she fades again. “Even the blanket left, but the crib is still here.”

“It must be too big.” She cranes her head back as Steve invades her personal space. “Steve-”

“Just trust me,” He whispers, dipping his head to capture her lips.

“Steve?”

Steve blinks out of his thoughts, seeing Natasha step out of the bathroom and stop in front of him. He offers a small smile, but she doesn’t drop the frown.

“We’re going to find her,” SHe says soothingly, grabbing his hand and rubbing soothing circles with her thumb.

He releases a sigh. “I know, I just…” He releases a breath. “No, you’re right. We’ll find her.” He raises their hands and kisses the back of hers. “Thank you, Natasha.”

She smiles softly. “Of course. Has Tony found anything yet?”

He shakes his head, glancing at the cell phone sitting on the bedside table. “Nothing yet. It shouldn’t be hard to track down HYDRA’s base and get them back. I just wish Zach hadn’t been dragged into it.”

“You know them. Zach will do anything for her.” Steve bristles, and Natasha chuckles. “Not like that.” She waits until he reluctantly relaxes again. “He’s her best friend. No one would have been able to stop him.”

Steve wraps his arm around her waist and tugs her closer so she’s in his lap, leaving his arms around her waist as he buries her face in his neck. “I just want to protect her.” He whispers against her skin.

“You always have,” She rubs his back, her other hand carding through his blonde hair. “You always will. She’ll understand that.”

“But if they convince her-”

“You’re her father,” Natasha interrupts firmly. “You always have been. You’ve always been her constant, and she loves you as much as you love her. She’ll understand. She may be angry, she may be hurt, but she knows you wouldn’t leave her alone.”

Steve releases a shaky breath, and they sit in silence, praying for any kind of signal.

Then the phone beeps.


	10. IX.

“Breathe,” Zach orders, crouching in front of me and holding my shoulders gently as his eyes remain on mine.

“I can’t,” I choke out, only vaguely aware of the tears on my cheeks. I can’t even tell if it’s because of the lack of oxygen or from knowing everything; all I know is that I can’t breathe.

“Get her an oxygen mask,” Rumlow orders, and quickly someone hands Zach a mask. He presses it against my face, sending me steady air as I force myself to calm down. At some point I fell to my knees, because now that I have air I can feel the dull ache from where I landed. I nod to Zach once, and he slowly removes the mask, testing to see if I’m really ok.

“How long?” I croak.

Rumlow tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“How long did they know?” I ask coldly.

Rumlow sighs. “Probably after the second or third time we tried to get to you. Fury could only keep his secrets for so long.”

It doesn’t surprise me; Fury has always been a liar, and though HYDRA is made of the same things, I know for a fact he’s telling the truth. “What do you want with me?” I ask quietly.

He looks confused. “We only want to train you to become the next leader of HYDRA. It’s your birthright; Ever since World War II his descendants have controlled HYDRA, and now it’s your turn.”

I say nothing. “What about Zach?”

Rumlow shrugs. “You can decide what to do. Kill him, torture him, keep him as a pet- it doesn’t matter. Our only problem is with his father.”

A chill goes down my spine, but this could be my best chance. “I want him to belong to me. I also want an actual, non-monitored room. If you can’t trust your leader, you don’t deserve to follow.”

“Hope,” Zach says quietly.

I don’t look at him, keeping my eyes on Rumlow as he’s silent. “Are you saying you want to kill the Avengers?” He asks quietly.

I steel myself, nodding once. “I want them dead.”

He grins. “Take our leader and her pet to their new room. I’ll prepare the gym so you can train.”

We follow the guards out, now unchained, and Before Zach can snap at me I raise my hands and use the sign language Clint taught us years ago. We’re free. We can get out.

…

“Hush little baby, don’t you cry,” Steve sings quietly, pacing around the bedroom and gently bouncing Hope in his arms. At first he was scared she was going to fall or that he would accidentally crush her, but now that a week has passed, he’s beyond comfortable with her small weight.

Natasha appears in the doorway, crossing her arms and leaning against the frame in nothing but jeans and a usual black shirt. “You’re good at that,”

Steve smiles, eyes on Hope’s yawning face as he continues to bounce her. He didn’t even flinch. “You get used to it.”

Natasha crossed her arms. “You know I can’t have kids. Why do you still want me?”

“Because I love you.” He stops, looking right in Natasha’s eyes. “I don’t care if you can’t have kids. I want you.”

Natasha says nothing. “Hope is like your daughter.” She says quietly.

“She’s yours too. We’re in this together.” He steps closer, eyes boring into Natasha’s. “I understand wanting to wait before signing marriage papers, but I’m not going to let you go.”

She releases a slightly shaky breath, reaching out to stroke the tiny face. “I-” She freezes, seeing empty arms. “Steve!”

He frowns. “I can still feel her. She’s right here.” As if on cue Hope reappears again, looking a little upset. “Is it a nightmare?”

Natasha frowns. “I don’t know. They experimented on her…” She shakes her head. “That’s going to make babysitting hard.”

Steve laughs once, smiling at the fiery redhead. “Something like that.” He goes over and sets Hope in her crib, trying not to panic when she fades again. “Even the blanket left, but the crib is still here.”

“It must be too big.” She cranes her head back as Steve invades her personal space. “Steve-”

“Just trust me,” He whispers, dipping his head to capture her lips.

“Steve?”

Steve blinks out of his thoughts, seeing Natasha step out of the bathroom and stop in front of him. He offers a small smile, but she doesn’t drop the frown.

“We’re going to find her,” SHe says soothingly, grabbing his hand and rubbing soothing circles with her thumb.

He releases a sigh. “I know, I just…” He releases a breath. “No, you’re right. We’ll find her.” He raises their hands and kisses the back of hers. “Thank you, Natasha.”

She smiles softly. “Of course. Has Tony found anything yet?”

He shakes his head, glancing at the cell phone sitting on the bedside table. “Nothing yet. It shouldn’t be hard to track down HYDRA’s base and get them back. I just wish Zach hadn’t been dragged into it.”

“You know them. Zach will do anything for her.” Steve bristles, and Natasha chuckles. “Not like that.” She waits until he reluctantly relaxes again. “He’s her best friend. No one would have been able to stop him.”

Steve wraps his arm around her waist and tugs her closer so she’s in his lap, leaving his arms around her waist as he buries her face in his neck. “I just want to protect her.” He whispers against her skin.

“You always have,” She rubs his back, her other hand carding through his blonde hair. “You always will. She’ll understand that.”

“But if they convince her-”

“You’re her father,” Natasha interrupts firmly. “You always have been. You’ve always been her constant, and she loves you as much as you love her. She’ll understand. She may be angry, she may be hurt, but she knows you wouldn’t leave her alone.”

Steve releases a shaky breath, and they sit in silence, praying for any kind of signal.

Then the phone beeps.


	11. XI.

OK guys, I’ve decided to make this the last chapter of our little story (Literally). Sorry guys, I just don’t have much left as far as ideas go for this story. I appreciate everyone who’s taken the time to read this and hopefully the ending doesn’t disappoint :) ~Raven  
XI.

“Are you ready?” Rumlow asks, not looking at me as he unlocks the weapons.

I nod once. “The Avengers are too weak. They’ll see me, drop their guard, and I’ll kill them.” My chest pangs in regret, but I have to convince him. “Simple.”

He nods once. “Speaking of, there’s something we need to discuss,” He says lightly, fingering the blade of a knife. “When were you planning on telling us you had reconciled with Captain America?”

I freeze as he lifts the knife, one hand reaching back for a spare gun, and Zach darts over to the wall, typing on the keypad frantically. Rumlow throws the gun, and Zach screams as it impales his leg, forcing him to the ground. I turn myself invisible and duck as a bullet flies where my head used to be, and I quickly keep typing, ignoring the smell of the blood leaking out of my best friend’s leg. The second I unlock the entrances and turn off the security system I hear another shot ring out, and I scream at the top of my lungs as I fall, losing my shield and gasping at the pain in my gut. I feel the tears spill over my cheeks as Zach reaches a bloody and shaky hand out, putting pressure on the wound while his other hand tries to control the blood from his leg.

Rumlow slowly walks closer, his gun aimed for my heart. “And here I was hoping we wouldn’t have to recalibrate you,” He says sadly. “Doing so would risk you forgetting all of your training.” He tsks, shaking his head. “Now you’re useless.”

A familiar shield appears out of nowhere, slamming into Rumlow’s head and throwing him to the ground. The gun clatters away from his unconscious- if not lifeless- body, and Steve runs over, taking Zach’s place as he puts pressure on the wound.

“I’m right here,” Steve says soothingly, staring at the wound fearfully. “Just stay with me, Hope. You’re going to be fine.”

“Dad…” I manage, feeling heavy. I just need to sleep. I just need to rest for a minute.

“Hope!” Steve calls, but he sounds too far away, and everything becomes dark.

…

_“Close,”_

_“Lost a lot of blood.”_

_“Wait to see if she wakes up.”_

_“Hope, please…”_

I slowly peel my eyes open, wincing at the bright light. I can hear the steady beeping of the heart monitor beside me as I shift, wincing at the pain in my stomach. I force myself to keep moving, trying not to jar the IV in my arm as I look around.  
In the chair beside me Steve is asleep, head on his chest and a sketchbook in hand, the outline of my sleeping form etched lightly in the pencil that’s in his hand.

“Steve,” I whisper.

“He’s fine.”

I blink as Natasha steps out from the shadows, looking exhausted. “He didn’t leave your side until the surgery, and that was only after I threatened him.”

I wince, glancing at him again. “Sorry,”

She shakes her head. “We should have told you the truth.” She glances as Steve as he lets out a small groan, lifting his head and rubbing his eyes with one hand, rubbing his neck with the other.

“Hope?” Steve asks, looking at me worriedly. “How do you feel?”

“Like I got shot,” I manage, wincing as I shift.

“Funny,” He takes my arm and tries to help me up. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” My blood goes cold, and the monitor skips a beat before it speeds up. “Zach. Is he ok? What’s-”

“Shh,” Steve brushes my hair back gently. “He’s going to be fine.”

“Going to be?” I yell, panicking again.

“Nice job,” Natasha deadpans, watching him wince.

“What’s going on?”

I snap my head towards the doorway, sucking in a breath when I see it.

Zach smiles, leaning heavily on a crutch. There’s a metal brace on his right leg, and he carefully limps over so he’s standing beside the bed. “Are you alright?”

I nod, biting my lip. “Zach…”

“Don’t start,” He says, leveling me with a look. “You got us out alive.”

“I started this mess.” I protest. “If I’d stayed home-”

“HYDRA would have still gone after you.” Steve says firmly. “You would have been prepared if we told you the truth.”

“Fury’s the one to blame,” Zach growls.

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. What happen to Rumlow?”

“He’s not coming back,” Steve says firmly, and I know the discussion’s over.

“Congratulations by the way,” Zach says, glancing at Steve and Natasha.

I raise my eyebrows. “You told them?”

He raises an eyebrow at me. “I might as well tell them.”

I smile, exchanging a grin with Zach, and finally let myself relax.

I’m home.


	12. Epilogue

_~Five Years Later~_

“James!” Natasha barks, glaring at my little brother’s laughing form. He’s already extremely fast for a three year old, and he loves to get into things any normal, non-serum-enhanced kid would stay away from.

I shake my head, making a face. “Mom’s going to kill you.”

“So will mine,” Zach says, glancing up from his tablet. He’s still heavily reliant on his crutch, but he mans everything from the inside, making sure the Avengers are updated. “If she ever stops hanging on Dad.”

“I’m glad he finally told her,” I offer a small smile. “They deserve each other.”

He shrugs. “It’s weird.”

I laugh lightly, and the door opens, revealing a focused Steve.

“Trouble,” He says, and Mom instantly straightens.

“Zach, watch him,” She orders, managing to press a kiss on James’ blond head before moving to her husband’s side. James blinks at them with his green eyes, used to them leaving and coming back again.

“What is it this time, Dad?” I ask, rising easily. The name has gotten easier as years have gone by, but I still blink when I hear my new last name.

“I’ll debrief everyone when we get there,” He says, sending me a look. I always try to get it out of him early. “Let’s go.”

Zach raises a hand. “Don’t die.”

I laugh once. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”


End file.
